Suburban Backyard - Let Chickens Run Amok?

[BigBlueHen53]

Gotta love a good Rottie!

I had one years ago, Mongo. Just a pup, really. Lived alone in a city at the time. Was walking him late one night and a kid walking by on the other side of the street hollered at me, "Hey Lady, does your dog bite?"

I thought for a second. Not a great neighborhood. Hollered back, "Only when I tell him to!" Kid nodded and kept walking.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Unfortunately I can't secure my property from coyotes, nor can I sit outside and lie in wait for when one might appear. Even if I could I'm not a good enough shot to get one. Just hoping if I keep the birds shut up a while, he'll move on in search of easier prey.

 

[debbier98]

Unfortunately I can't secure my property from coyotes, nor can I sit outside and lie in wait for when one might appear. Even if I could I'm not a good enough shot to get one. Just hoping if I keep the birds shut up a while, he'll move on in search of easier prey.

I get it. In that case, if I were you, I'd check with my local SPCA (Animal Shelter). Most of them have live catch cages which they will loan to you. Once you have the cage, bait the cage with some type of meat (the older and smellier the meat the better) set the cage away from you coop. When a coyote gets traped in the cage, call the SPCA and let them know and they will send personnel to pickup the cage-coyote and all.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I get it. In that case, if I were you, I'd check with my local SPCA (Animal Shelter). Most of them have live catch cages which they will loan to you. Once you have the cage, bait the cage with some type of meat (the older and smellier the meat the better) set the cage away from you coop. When a coyote gets traped in the cage, call the SPCA and let them know and they will send personnel to pickup the cage-coyote and all.

I'll look into but I would bet a silk pajama (apologies to Ogden Nash) none of that is available in my area. They'll tell me to shoot it. Once upon a time I might have, but I don't see that well any more and like I said, I'm not going to sit outside for hours and hours hoping it shows up. Besides, my neighbor grazes his cattle out there and I can't afford to replace an Angus if I should hit it. My chickens have a very large fenced area, they're not suffering, but thanks.

 

[JedJackson]

If you want to free range chickens, any garden where edible plants are grown should be fenced off and covered in wire, if necessary. It's not only that the chickens will destroy the garden, but also that their droppings can transmit salmonella and other germs if they come in contact with anything a person eats raw, as in a salad.

I like free ranging but I have to be out with them here if I let them out. Way too many predators around. My gardens are fenced and it works for the chickens. Not too well for wild rabbits, though. I haven't found a good solution for keeping them out.

 

[debbier98]

I'll look into but I would bet a silk pajama (apologies to Ogden Nash) none of that is available in my area. They'll tell me to shoot it. Once upon a time I might have, but I don't see that well any more and like I said, I'm not going to sit outside for hours and hours hoping it shows up. Besides, my neighbor grazes his cattle out there and I can't afford to replace an Angus if I should hit it. My chickens have a very large fenced area, they're not suffering, but thanks

I understand. Yes, with guns it's critical to know exactly where that bullet could go if you miss. Your SPCA sounds about as useful as ours here in Lancaster,Ca. Our SPCA are as helpfull as raising a flock of roosters and expecting eggs! Anyway, I hope all works out for you and your flock.

 

[debbier98]

Gotta love a good Rottie!

I had one years ago, Mongo. Just a pup, really. Lived alone in a city at the time. Was walking him late one night and a kid walking by on the other side of the street hollered at me, "Hey Lady, does your dog bite?"

I thought for a second. Not a great neighborhood. Hollered back, "Only when I tell him to!" Kid nodded and kept walking.

Yep. Rotties are really just gentle giants, but highly protective. But they take alot of working with if they are to be allowed around livestock - especially any type of birds. I didn't think it would be possible to break my rottie of going after my chickens, but by golly the boy finally got what I wanted from him.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Is there a pen next to the chickens where he could spend a lot of time? In a see-no-touch situation? That's how I conditioned my very hyper, very playful, half-feral 15-mo old Sheltie to leave the chickens alone. I'd leave him out there every day for 2 to 4 hours at a time until he was dead bored and snoring, and had totally lost interest in the chickens. Birds? What birds? I don't see no stinkin' birds...

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

My chickens have a big run, and are let out to free range every afternoon. I have a garden also and every single garden bed is fenced off with a range of DIY fencing solutions. Over the winter I open it all up and they keep my garden beds pretty weed free and clean up a lot of bugs, so I hit springtime with a lot less work to do. It's a win-win for me, a small amount of work to keep everything fenced but it saves me a lot of time and effort later.

 

[BleuSaphir]

I wouldn’t allow full access if I had a pool and spa. Or a koi pond. Those are areas I would be so afraid of chickens being around. If I had big backyard I would do a main run with a outer rim of a bigger space to allow “free range”. That is also fenced.